Raleigh, N.C. — A Wake County jury handed up a split verdict Monday morning, convicting a Raleigh man of killing a woman during an armed robbery six years ago but not in the fatal shooting two months earlier of a man during a violent home invasion.

The seven men and five women deliberated for more than 23 hours over five days before finding Armond Devega, 32, guilty in the April 10, 2008, shooting death of Stephanie Powell Anderson, 39, but not guilty in the shooting death of Anthony Dwayne Scarborough, 32.

Devega did not react as Superior Court Judge Paul Gessner read the verdicts. Anderson's mother and sister cried, saying later they were relieved by the jury's decision.

"I was happy. I clapped and thanked God. She was my rock," Lachanda Powell said of her sister, Anderson, whom Devega ambushed as she arrived for the opening shift at a Wilco-Hess convenience store on Trawick Road.

Surveillance video recorded Anderson, a mother of three, pleading for her life before Devega shot her when she couldn't open a safe.

Scarborough's mother sobbed and had to leave the courtroom upon hearing the verdict in her son's case.

Prosecutors argued that Devega and three other men forced their way into Scarborough's apartment on Feb. 13, 2008, bound him with duct tape and shot him in the head because Devega thought Scarborough set him up to be robbed during a poker game.

"He killed my son. He killed my only child, and they say 'Not guilty.' It's not fair," Jackie Scarborough said, adding she couldn't understand why the Devega was found guilty of one crime but not the other.

"But I know he's going to spend the rest of his life in prison," she said. "It's not the answer I was looking for, but I just have to accept it."

A life sentence is the minimum Devega will receive, his attorney, Jim Glover said Monday afternoon to jurors who must now decide whether Devega should face the death penalty for Anderson's death.

"The question is not, 'Will he be punished? You've already decided that," Glover said. "The question is, 'Will he die when God says he should die?' or 'Should he die at another time when man says he should die?'"

Glover said Devega has "substantial deficits" in the frontal lobe of his brain that involve affect decision-making, self-control and appreciating the consequences of his actions.

Sources of such deficits, Glover said, could come from head injuries, childhood trauma, or it could be an effect of being raised at the hands of his father – a Vietnam War veteran who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder at a time in the 1970s, when having the condition was viewed as being cowardly.

Devega's older brother, Don Devega Jr., testified that he and his two brothers endured verbal abuse, such as name-calling, and beatings, from their father.

"We never knew what kind of mood he would be in," Don Devega said. "We didn’t want to be hit or beat. We just kind of moved out of his way."

Devega convicted of seven other charges

Armond Devega was also convicted Monday on a charge of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Modesta Fernandez-Lucas three times during a Sept. 10, 2008, robbery at a check-cashing service on Wake Forest Road.

He was also found guilty of six of eight counts of robbery with a firearm relating to a spree of crimes from January 2008 until his arrest in October 2008.

Prosecutors said in closing arguments last week that Devega – a gambler who struggled financially – acted alone in all of but one of the crimes and that investigators found bullets fired from a gun belonging to him at several crime scenes.

Victims also pinpointed Devega as the robber after his arrest, the state said, and both his sister-in-law and ex-girlfriend both identified him in surveillance images circulating in the media around the time of his arrest.

But defense attorneys questioned the reliability of that ex-girlfriend, saying that she "disgruntled" after catching Devega cheating on her and influenced by a $25,000 reward in the case.

They also said police were hasty in linking Devega – who rejected a plea deal last year – to the crimes and that there was no DNA or fingerprints linking him to any of the cases.

678devilishMay 20, 2014

Justice is served here. He wil be locked up for life. He will have plenty of time to think about his wrong. The young lady had a right to live but he took that a way. May she now rest in peace.

Lightfoot3May 20, 2014

"Glover said. "The question is, 'Will he die when God says he should die?' or 'Should he die at another time when man says he should die?'"" - article

Too funny! The old, you're going against God if you vote for the death penalty tactic.

"Glover said Devega has "substantial deficits" in the frontal lobe of his brain that involve affect decision-making, self-control and appreciating the consequences of his actions." - article

If you're making that argument, then you must think/know he did it. That's ALL I need to know in this case. DEATH PENALTY!

37May 20, 2014

"Why did he kill a convenience store?" - Guy Who Only Reads Headlines

RDcallsitMay 20, 2014

PLEASE stop with the "head injuries, childhood trauma, or it could be an effect of being raised at the hands of his father" already! it could be he's just mean and unfit to be in society.

wytlytnMay 20, 2014

Prayers for Stephanies family during this awful rememberance of what she had to endure with this monster, i went to school with her and she was one of the nicest people I have ever met, RIP Sweet Lady

same ole storyMay 20, 2014

Find the deepest darkest hole and throw him in and lose the key. I am getting sick and tired of blaming others for your actions!! Just more excuses for not taking responsibility for YOUR actions. NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Screen Name-8/20"May 19, 2014

View quoted thread

With that criminal record, how was he ever walking around in the first place? What is wrong with our system?!?!?!?

— Posted by LetsBeFair

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Boy! I wish I knew how many times I've asked THAT question.

"Screen Name-8/20"May 19, 2014

"But defense attorneys questioned the reliability of that ex-girlfriend, saying that she "disgruntled" after catching Devega cheating on her and influenced by a $25,000 reward in the case.

They also said police were hasty in linking Devega – who rejected a plea deal last year – to the crimes and that there was no DNA or fingerprints linking him to any of the cases."

No links to ANY "of the cases."

How about "Surveillance video recorded her pleading with Devega for her life and then him shooting her when she couldn't open a safe."

How dumb do some attorneys think jurors are that they wouldn't catch that. Then when jurors come to understand that, they start disbelieving anything THAT defense attorney says.

I wonder how they arrived at the "not guilty" on the Scarborough murder.

Prayers for the loved ones of his victims, and prayers for TRUE justice - he took one life (and almost took a second); he deserves to receive no less than he gave Stephanie Anderson. PERIOD!!!

ncdime1235May 19, 2014

Eye for an eye.

LetsBeFairMay 19, 2014

With that criminal record, how was he ever walking around in the first place? What is wrong with our system?!?!?!?